And I, Patricia, started as a childbirth educator and then realized that my
education did people far less good than my actual being with them during
labor and delivery, so I became a doula.  Isn't it interesting how our
thoughts and perceptions change?  I still do some teaching, but many times
when I teach (I do private, in-home classes), I will leave the home thinking
I have wasted most of my time, because without a doula with them, the family
will never get what they want, or anything I suggested,  in the hospital
they are going to.  But I guess we all keep trying, don't we?  You as an
IBCLC, fighting to make a difference and save breastfeeding in the lives of
these precious babies, and me as a doula/CBE, fighting to make a difference,
both in birth and in breastfeeding because I am convinced they are not two
separate events, from the beginning.

As an aside, one of my "vacuum extractor moms" who gave birth one week ago
has officially stopped breastfeeding.  Her reasons?  When she was in the
hospital and baby was jaundiced, the nursery nurses wouldn't bring the baby
out of the nursery more than every 4 or 5 hours.  One of the nurses came
into the room and told this mom that there was no need for them to bring her
back because they had just given her *6 ounces* of formula over the last 4
hours.  So, of course, baby wouldn't be hungry, so why nurse her?  Just
leave her under the lights so we can take care of the jaundice.  Mom came
home with baby - and bili blanket - and surprise, surprise.  Baby wasn't
interested in breastfeeding, and mom just assumed that since the formula was
already started in the hospital, that the baby preferred that, so she quit.
Now, I am not saying that no blame belongs to the mom - she blindly followed
the system and did not stand up for herself, or her baby.  But the medical
staff should be ashamed!

I will check the archives, but it seems to me that jaundice hasn't always
been this big of a deal.  Am I wrong here?

Jennifer D
BirthBasics
----- Original Message -----
From: "Patricia J. Ellis"

> Jennifer,  Just a suggestion--going to nursing school will not really help
> with the changes that are needed--I did that, although for somewhat
> different reasons, and you are still one person against many, and
> unfortunately, still seem to be at the bottom of the totem pole.  IMHO, be
> the best doula and advocate that you can be, find allies and "key drivers"
> in the system if you still want to try to impact change, do not fight
alone.
> I thought I should become a childbirth educator for a while, so that I
could
> work both ends, but there are already people that do that--we just need to
> get together, as is happening.

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